Organisers of this year’s Christchurch Food & Wine Festival are hopeful for a great turnout for this year’s Festival which runs from 7 to 16 May.

More than one hundred stalls will be filling the High Street for the International Food Market on 8 and 9 May and many of the events being held in restaurants, cafes and tea rooms throughout the Festival are filling up.

Mary Reader, President of the Food Festival, said: “Many people think of the Food Festival as just being the weekend of the International Market, but the Festival actually lasts for ten days and there are a whole host of events taking place every day.

“Many of the events are already full, but there are still a lot of wonderful deals available at a number of venues. I would recommend people to check the events which are listed on the website at www.christchurchfoodfest.co.uk and book up to take advantage of some great bargains.”

The International Food Market includes demonstrations from celebrity and local chefs in the marquee in Saxon Square. Highlights include TV chef Lesley Waters on both Friday 7 May and Saturday 8 May, vegetarian chef and author Rose Elliot on Saturday 8 May and renowned Indian chef Cyrus Todiwala on Sunday 9 May. There will also be some ‘cookafun’ sessions when chefs will battle against each other to see who can come up with the best dishes from the same ingredients.

Another celebrity chef, New Zealander Peter Gordon, will be at The Captain’s Club for a special lunch with dishes from his new book on Thursday 13 May.

Budding young chefs can take advantage of the Kids Kitchen being held at The Priory School in Wick Lane on Saturday 8 May and Sunday 9 May.

New for this year is a Family Zone run by Heart FM where people can get a chance to relax and taste some of the offerings they have bought from the market stalls and listen to music. Youngsters can also have a go at making their own smoothies on a smoothie-bike courtesy of Frettens Solicitors.

There are many special deals to be found in restaurants, cafes, pubs and tea rooms throughout the borough during the ten days of the Festival, everything from two courses for £10 at a number of restaurants to special banquet meals.